Abstract:

A novel bird feeder is disclosed comprising a top portion with a hook, a
cap and shield, and a bottom portion with a feeder body and a tray the
top portion and the bottom portion being interconnected by a cable. One
end of the cable is affixed to the bottom portion of the bird feeder and
the other end of the cable is attached to a spring biased coil assembly
located in the top portion. The bottom portion is then reversibly
dislocatable from the top portion between an in-use condition and a
re-supply condition.

Claims:

1. A novel bird feeder for feeding birds, and refillable with bird seed,
comprising:A top portion with a cap, a hook, a shield, and a coil
assembly, with the hook mounted onto said cap and projecting upwards with
shield integrally formed around said cap, said hook being compatible for
hanging from a support, and where the coil assembly is mounted inside of
the cap and providing spring biased spooling for a cable;A bottom portion
with a feeder body, a tray and a ring, where said feeder body includes an
attachment point for a cable end;A cable interconnecting said top portion
and said bottom portion, when one end of said cable is affixed to the
coil assembly and is spooled thereon, and where the opposing end of the
cable is affixed to the bottom portion by the attachment point;Where said
top portion remains in place and said bottom portion is able to
reversibly dislocate between an in-use condition and a re-supply
condition and in the re-supply condition the user has access to the
feeder body for the refilling of the feeder body with bird seed.

2. The bird feeder of claim Number 1, where the feeder body includes a
feeder body top that is chamfered and where the cap includes a cap seat
that is oriented to engage the feeder body top when in the in-sue
condition and where the angle of the cap seat is matched for engagement
with the chamfered feeder body top.

3. The bird feeder of claim 1, where the attachment point includes a tube,
cable supports, and a cable yoke, where said cable is affixed to the
cable yoke by a cable anchor, the attachment point being located in
substantial alignment with the feeder body top.

4. The bird feeder of claim Number 1, where the ring is located underneath
the tray.

5. A novel bird feeder for feeding birds, and refillable with bird seed,
comprising:A top portion with a cap, a hook, and a shield, with the hook
mounted onto said cap and projecting upwards with shield integrally
formed around said cap, said hook being compatible for hanging from a
support;A bottom portion with a feeder body, a tray and a ring, where
said feeder body includes an attachment point for a cable end;A cable
interconnecting said top portion and said bottom portion;A coil assembly
with a spring bias for spooling cable on said coil assembly, said spring
bias calibrated to support the weight of the bottom portion as filled
with bird food, where said coil assembly is affixed to one end of said
cable and the other end of said cable is affixed to an attachment point
on the bird feeder;Where said top portion remains in place and said
bottom portion is able to reversibly dislocate between an in-use
condition and a re-supply condition and in the re-supply condition the
user has access to the feeder body for the refilling of the feeder body
with bird seed.

6. The bird feeder of claim Number 5, where the feeder body includes a
feeder body top that is chamfered and where the cap includes a cap seat
that is oriented to engage the feeder body top when in the in-sue
condition and where the angle of the cap seat is matched for engagement
with the chamfered feeder body top.

7. The bird feeder of claim Number 5, where the ring is located underneath
the tray.

8. The bird Feeder of claim Number 5, where the attachment point is
located on the top portion.

9. The bird feeder of claim Number 5, where the attachment point is
located on the bottom portion.

10. A novel bird feeder for feeding birds, and refillable with bird seed,
comprising:A top portion with a cap, a hook, and a shield, with the hook
mounted onto said cap and projecting upwards with shield integrally
formed around said cap, said hook being compatible for hanging from a
support;A bottom portion with a feeder body, a tray and a ring, where
said feeder body includes an attachment point for a cable end;A cable
interconnecting said top portion and said bottom portion;A coil assembly
mounted in the top portion and with a spring bias for spooling cable on
said coil assembly, said spring bias calibrated to support the weight of
the bottom portion as filled with bird food, where said coil assembly is
affixed to one end of said cable and the other end of said cable is
affixed to an attachment point on the bird feeder;Where the attachment
point is located on the bottom portion and includes a tube, cable
supports, and a cable yoke, where said cable is affixed to the cable yoke
by a cable anchor, the attachment point being located in substantial
alignment with the feeder body top, the dislocation of the top portion
and the bottom portion occurs where said top portion remains in place and
said bottom portion is able to reversibly dislocate between an in-use
condition and a re-supply condition and in the re-supply condition the
user has access to the feeder body for the refilling of the feeder body
with bird seed.

11. The bird feeder of claim Number 10, where the ring is located
underneath the tray.

12. The bird feeder of claim Number 10, where the feeder body includes a
feeder body top that is chamfered and where the cap includes a cap seat
that is oriented to engage the feeder body top when in the in-sue
condition and where the angle of the cap seat is matched for engagement
with the chamfered feeder body top.

[0003]The present invention relates to bird feeders. More particularly,
the present invention relates to bird feeders with retractable feeder
bodies for the purpose of accessibility for filling.

[0004]Bird feeders are one of the most popular lawn and garden accessories
and are well known to birding aficionados. In the usual case, a bird
feeder comprises a body for holding bird feed, where the body has some
number of holes or slots for the distribution of the bird food. Since
bird food is usually a variety of seeds (as compared to suet or peanut
butter or the like) the food is easily distributed through such
apertures. In addition to the body, the bird feeder typically has some
sort of apparatus for supporting it at height in order to place the food
in a location desirable for the birds and away from predators lurking on
the ground. Sometimes such feeders include design attributes for
protecting access to the bird food from squirrels and other seed eaters,
such design attributes including shields, baffles, barriers and the like.

[0005]Given the traditional approach to bird feeders and to bird feeding
in general, certain long standing problems have emerged that are
addressed in the present invention. One chief problem is the
contamination of the bird feeder itself with bird feces or droppings.
Bird feces are problematic for a number of reasons including health,
staining, and just the unpleasantness of dealing with the substance. Bird
feces are not as dangerous as the waste from other animals but
accumulations can be sources for pathogens such as histoplasmosis, and
cryptococcosis not to mention other threats to human health. Direct
contact with bird feces is advised and in the typical bird feeder this is
difficult when the user is attempting to re-supply the feeder with food.
In many bird feeder designs the user may have to open the feeder up by
grasping the top of the unit which is usually the most contaminated. In
other designs the sides of the unit can be fouled as well. Thus it is a
very important issue (supported by consumer surveys) for the user to have
a bird feeder that avoids the need for direct contact with soiled
surfaces.

[0006]Another problem associated with typical bird feeders is the
re-supply procedure for the filling the feeder with bird food, e.g. seed.
Many times (as mentioned above) the user may be compelled to open up the
top of the bird feeder in order to refill it. Depending on the manner in
which the feeder has been installed, this can be a dicey proposition
especially if it requires the use of a ladder or stool. Even without the
need for a ladder or stool, the feeder is usually at or above chest
height meaning that the feed has to be raised to that level and poured
into the feeder. For many people this can be difficult and even dangerous
if one is suffering from arthritis or rotator cuff problems or the like
since the ergonomic considerations for this approach are horrifically
wrong. The lifting issues aside, the ability to control the amount of
feed being dispensed is made more difficult through this approach as
well, leading to the loss of seed/food through accidental overfilling at
times.

[0007]One of the ways the foregoing problems have been handled in the
prior art has been through the use of bird feeders that have feeder
bodies that separate and which can be lowered for re-supply purposes and
then retract back to their normal position. Examples of these are well
known although the prior art bird feeders have not been completely
satisfactory and at times expose users to the bird feces, or
substantially increase the weight of the bird feeder, or make it
difficult for a user to access the feeder body. These and other deficits
in bird feeder designs have left the consumer with a less than perfect
solution.

[0008]Approaches that have been taken in the prior art include Gigliotti
(U.S. Pat. No. 2,804,844) where a bird feeder is mounted onto a vertical
post and parts of the bird feeder assembly, such as the roof, feeder body
(hopper) and platform can slide vertically on the vertical post. This
allows the user the ability to gain access to the feeder body for
re-supply purposes when the roof is moved upwards on the vertical post.
In this instance, however, the access is restricted and requires the user
to contort his/herself in order to conduct the re-supply.

[0009]Another approach is typified by Stone (Patent Application No.
2008/0022936) where the bird feeder has a cable running centrally through
the longitudinal axis of the bird feeder. One end of the cable is affixed
to an anchor point for suspending the bird feeder in the appropriate
location. The other end of the cable is affixed to a spring coil assembly
that rolls the cable up onto a spool located in the base of the feeder.
Thus the user can grasp the base of the feeder and pull it down, thereby
overcoming the spring biased on the spool, playing out cable as the bird
feeder is brought down to a height where the user can access the unit. In
this approach the user still has to remove the top portion of the feeder
to provide access for re-supply. In addition, it appears that the user
will also be confronting the real likelihood of exposure to bird feces
when pulling down the design as presented. Further, the bird feeder
approach of Stone locates the cable and coil assembly within the bottom
of the feeder, with the effect that the whole feeder assembly is
supported entirely by the spring biased coil assembly. This undue burden
on the coil assembly makes it difficult to calibrate the spring bias to
cover the conditions when the feeder is loaded with food and when its
empty and it also decreases the lifetime of the coil assembly as the
spring bias becomes fatigued over time. This leads to earlier failures of
the Stone bird feeder and with the prospect that the user will be looking
to replace the coil assembly (or components therein) or to merely find
another bird feeder altogether. Lastly, the pathway for the cable in
Stone requires that it be routed through a centrally located tube running
axially through the center of the feeder body. The cable will wear on the
tube over time which not only leads to pre-mature failure of the unit,
but it means that fragments of the tube and the cable will be ejected
into the food supply contained within the feeder body. This unnecessary
contamination of the bird food is a contradiction for the users who have
purchased the feeders for the benefit of the birds in the first instance.

[0010]While the prior art devices have addressed some problems associated
with bird feeding and bird feeders, the approaches are not as effective
as the methods of the present invention. The objectives long sought by
users in the hobby of bird feeding are not solved by the approaches taken
in the prior art and it is asserted that the methods and practices of the
present invention achieve, for the first time, these long sought after
objectives.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011]A novel bird feeder in accordance with the present invention is
comprised of a top portion and a bottom portion, where the top portion
includes a hook, cap and shield, and the bottom portion includes a feeder
body and a tray. The top portion and the bottom portion of the bird
feeder are interconnected by a cable that is anchored at one end to the
bottom portion and which is attached at the other end to a spring biased
coil assembly installed in the top portion; said coil assembly including
a spool for spooling the cable. The hook on the top portion of the bird
feeder is attached to a fixed point for locating the bird feeder. The
bottom portion of the bird feeder may then be pulled by a user between an
in-use and a re-supply condition with the cable being spooled and
unspooled respectively. The in-use condition is the condition where the
bird feeder is ready for birds and the top portion and the bottom portion
are in aligned contact with each other. In the re-supply condition the
feeder body is separated from the top portion and is accessible to a user
for filling the feeder body with bird seed.

[0012]The bottom portion of the bird feeder in the first embodiment
further includes a ring that is attached to the tray and which is
positioned for the user to grasp said ring when he/she seeks to move the
bird feeder to the re-supply condition. The ring is also located
underneath the tray out of the area where bird feces may accumulate.

[0013]In the preferred embodiment, the coil assembly is located in the top
portion. The cable is attached to a tube centrally located along the
longitudinal axis of the feeder body and in the area of the feeder body
top, where it is attached to cable supports that are perpendicularly
oriented and attached to the inside of the feeder body flush with the
feeder body top.

[0014]In another embodiment of the present invention, the bird feeder is
comprised of a top portion and a bottom portion, where the top portion
includes a hook, cap and shield, and the bottom portion includes a feeder
body, a tray and a base. The top portion and the bottom portion of the
bird feeder are interconnected by a cable that is anchored at one end to
the top portion and which is attached at the other end to a spring biased
coil assembly installed in the base; said coil assembly including a spool
for spooling the cable. The hook on the top portion of the bird feeder is
attached to a fixed point for locating the bird feeder. The bottom
portion of the bird feeder may then be pulled by a user between an in-use
and a re-supply condition with the cable being spooled and unspooled
respectively. The in-use condition is the condition where the bird feeder
is ready for birds and the top portion and the bottom portion are in
aligned contact with each other. In the re-supply condition the feeder
body is separated from the top portion and is accessible to a user for
filling the feeder body with bird seed.

[0015]The foregoing descriptions of the preferred embodiments briefly
illustrate the attributes of the present invention. The benefits and
features of the present invention are disclosed in more detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016]FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a bird feeder of the present
invention in the in-use condition.

[0017]FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the bird feeder of FIG. 1
shown in the re-supply condition.

[0018]FIG. 3 is an isometric exploded view of one version of the preferred
embodiment of the bird feeder of FIG. 1, showing the overall assembly of
the main components.

[0019]FIG. 4 is a front exploded view of the bird feeder of FIG. 3 showing
the details of some of the components.

[0020]FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the bird feeder of FIG. 3, in
the in-use condition and with the internal components shown by hidden
lines.

[0021]FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the preferred embodiment of
the bird feeder of FIG. 1, showing the bird feeder in the re-supply
condition and with internal components disclosed by hidden lines.

[0022]FIG. 7 is a partial cross sectional view of the bird feeder of FIG.
6, with some of the components reduced to better show the functions of
the embodiment.

[0023]FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a second embodiment of the
present invention shown in the in-use condition.

[0024]FIG. 9 is a partial cross sectional view of the bird feeder of FIG.
8 disclosing the basic components of the bird feeder and how these are
oriented.

[0025]FIG. 10 is a partial cross sectional view of the bird feeder of FIG.
8 shown in the re-supply condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026]The bird feeder of the present invention is of the type that
separates into two parts for servicing, namely, when the user desires to
re-supply the feeder with bird seed. The classic design for a bird feeder
inherently conflicts with convenient usage. Notably, many bird feeders
have a feeder body, or hopper, where the bird seed is stored. The feeder
body typically has portals or slots for the distribution of the bird
seed. Lastly, common bird feeders employ tops that extend well beyond the
feeder body and corresponding have perches or trays that extend beyond
the feeder as well. Both serve to keep competitors such as squirrels or
ground hogs away from the feeder body and the top can also serve to
shield the distributed seed from rain and bird droppings. Thus when the
user has to service the feeder, access to the feeder body is similarly
restricted and requires the removal or dislocation of the top, or the
feeder body, or some combination thereof in order to gain clearance to
re-supply the seed.

[0027]In the present invention, two major problems are resolved, and
several other improvements are made to the usual bird feeder design. Two
immediate goals, protection of the user from contamination and ease of
use for re-supply have been attained in the present invention, both of
which differentiate the applicants' version from the prior art. There are
additional attributes that enhance the functionality of the present
invention as well and these features will be explained in detail.

[0028]Turning now to the drawings, in FIGS. 1 and 2, a bird feeder 10 of
the present invention is shown with hook 12, cap 14, shield 16 and
junction 18. Below this the feeder body 20 is disclosed with the feed
port(s) 22, the tray 24, the perch 26, the tray base 28, and the ring 30.
FIG. 2 also shows the cable 40. As shown in FIG. 1, the bird feeder is in
the "in-use" condition which will be defined in more detail below. With
respect to FIG. 2, the bird feeder is shown in the "re-supply" condition.

[0030]The bird feeder of the present invention distributes bird seed in
the same way as conventional feeders do; through the use of a hopper
(feeder body) and feed ports. The seed is allowed to flow by gravity from
the feeder body out the feed ports and into the trough. Birds attracted
to the feed can land on the perch, which is substantially a
circumferential ring that is supported by the perch supports on the
periphery of the tray.

[0031]To install the bird feeder in a location to attract birds, the hook
located on the top portion of the bird feeder, specifically on the cap
projecting upwards, is used to hang the bird feeder from a suitable tree
limb, shepherd's hook, or other support, such that the bird feeder is
free of obstructions to the perch and typically high enough from the
ground to deter predators such as house cats or dogs. The function of the
present invention is intended to be compatible with the typical placement
of bird feeders and in fact facilitates the placement by allowing for
easier access to the feeder body, as will be understood.

[0032]In the preferred embodiment, the bird feeder is comprised of two
main portions; the top portion and the bottom portion. The top portion
includes, among other components, the hook, the cap, the shield, the coil
assembly and the cap seat. The bottom portion includes, among other
components, the feeder body, the tube, the cable supports, the tray, and
the ring. The top portion is interconnected to the bottom portion by the
cable where it is anchored at the cable yoke located at the top of the
tube. The cable end has the cable anchor located thereon and provides an
attachment point for preventing the cable from slipping through the cable
yoke. The cable yoke and the tube are further stabilized and supported by
the cable supports which extend from the tube top to points along the
inner side of the feeder body top as can be seen in the drawings. As can
be seen in the drawings, the tube includes the tube end which is
identified and which is typically intended to carry an internal thread
for engagement with the ring end. This fixes the lower end of the tube to
the tray. The purpose of the cable supports is to buttress the tube and
the cable yoke in order to provide a secure point for retaining the cable
anchor. It should also be understood that the components of the top
portion and bottom portion are fixed together within each portion, either
as parts of the same injection molding (cap, junction, shield) or by
gluing or welding.

[0033]The other end of the cable is affixed to the coil assembly,
specifically to the spool which has a length of cable wound thereon. The
coil assembly is a spring biased roll-up type, sometimes known as a
window shade spool, and is a conventional component well known in the
art. As such it is identified in the drawings although the specific
components of the coil assembly are not disclosed since these do not
comprise a specific part of the present invention. The coil assembly is
mounted to the underside of the cap by way of the coil assembly mounts.
The coil assembly can be screwed into place through the coil assembly
mounting holes with the screws penetrating the coil assembly mounts. If
need be, a user can change out the coil assembly at some point in the
future. If due to wear or malfunction, the coil assembly can be unscrewed
and a new part re-installed.

[0034]As may now be appreciated, the coil assembly is able to bias the
cable to a position such as that shown in FIG. 7 which is termed the "in
use" condition. In the in-use condition the feeder body usually has some
quantity of bird feed stored inside and the coil assembly spring bias is
calibrated to suspect the bottom portion adequately, keeping it in the
in-use condition, even when the feeder body is full of bird seed. In this
position the feeder body is held in place to the top portion,
specifically where the feeder body top is wedged into the cap seat. The
feeder body top has a chamfered edge that is matched for engagement with
the angle of the cap seat. This fit is self aligning so when the top
portion and the bottom portion are separated, such as shown in FIG. 6,
and then brought back together, the top portion and the bottom portion
will be oriented correctly in the in-use condition. As may be understood,
the position of the top portion and the bottom portion shown in FIG. 6 is
the "re-supply" condition and is typified by the removal of the bottom
portion from the top portion. As may be recalled, in actual use the top
portion of the bird feeder is hung from some compatible support which
fixes the location of the top portion. The bottom portion, however, is
free to dislocate from the top portion and can be removed to the
re-supply condition at the will of the user.

[0035]With the foregoing in mind, it can be seen that the bottom portion,
when in the re-supply condition, can be dislocated for some distance from
the top portion, the actual length being a matter of selection. In the
preferred embodiment the length is determined by a sufficient distance to
allow the user to pull the bottom portion away from the top portion with
enough clearance to easily access the feeder body top and thereafter fill
the feeder body with seed. In contrast to some of the prior art devices,
the present invention allows for lateral dislocation of the bottom
portion from the top portion which enhances the access for the user.

[0036]The spring bias applied by the coil assembly is calibrated to
overcome the combined weight of the bottom portion with a full load of
seed. This allows the coil assembly sufficient power to retract the
bottom portion and to re-engage the top portion in the select orientation
to restore its function as a bird feeder. The present invention does this
by locating the coil assembly in the top portion as opposed to the prior
art. The location of the coil assembly in the top portion reduces weight
in the bottom portion, which therefore reduces the amount of burden on
the coil assembly. Reducing the weight promotes durability of the product
and increases its lifetime. It also makes it somewhat easier for the user
to handle as well. It also allows for a product that can carry more bird
seed if desired, versus comparable units.

[0037]As is noted in the drawings, the cable end is affixed through the
use of the cable anchor at the cable yoke. The location of the cable yoke
is at the tube top unlike prior art device which use a lower point of
connection at the tray. In fact, the usage of the tube as a conduit for
the passage of the cable is indicated in the prior art and is
disadvantageous not only because the location of the cable increases the
amount of cable needed (adding weight and cost to the product) but it
also means that where, as in the prior art, the coil assembly is located
in the base or tray area of the bird feeder the cable will run through
the tube and will chafe the tube causing undue wear on both the cable and
the tube, shortening the lifetime of the product, and ejecting particles
into the feeder body which may be deleterious to the birds using that
type of feeder. Thus the present invention eliminates these pitfalls
known in the prior art.

[0038]When the user approaches the bird feeder of the preferred
embodiment, he/she can cause the dislocation of the bottom portion by
grasping the bottom portion at the ring. The ring is positioned
underneath the tray and is shielded by the tray so as to minimize
potential contact with bird feces. In contrast to other bird feeder
designs where the top of the feeder is accessed for re-supply, or where
both the top and the bottom portion are dislocated for access, in the
case of the preferred embodiment the user remains distant from the top
portion and only deals with the bottom portion which has been partially
shielded from bird droppings by means of the cap and shield. Thus the
approach in the present invention provides a much more hygienic method
for dealing with bird feeders.

[0039]It can be understood that the coil assembly in the preferred
embodiment could be located to the bottom portion of the bird feeder.
While this would result in the loss of some benefits of the invention,
other benefits of the invention would be retained. For instance,
additional weight would be placed upon the bottom portion but the bottom
portion would still retain the ability to dislocate separate from the top
portion which would remain fixed. The bottom portion would self align
with the top portion as before when being returned to the in-use
condition and a ring would still be the preferred means for the user to
grasp the bottom portion. This embodiment is discussed below.

[0040]Turning now to FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, an alternate embodiment of the
present invention is shown with bird feeder 10, employing in this
instance, a base 110, tube 112, spool 114, nuts 116, base opening 118,
cable end 120, tube top 122, and hook end 124. In this version the coil
assembly (signified by the spool) is located in the bottom portion of the
bird feeder. And the cable runs through the tube and is affixed to the
hook at the hook end. Thus the hook end becomes an alternate attachment
point for the cable end with respect to the first embodiment disclosed
herein. This embodiment does not rely on the cable support to stabilize
the tube since the tube is not participating in the anchoring of the
cable. The cable is anchored at the hook end through the use of a cable
end that engages the hook end.

[0041]Functionally, this embodiment still allows the user to dislocate the
bottom portion from the top portion as described above, retaining the
same benefits for this capability. The bottom portion though is burdened
with the additional weight of the coil assembly and to some extent by
some additional length of cable.

[0042]The teachings of the present invention, by and through its
embodiments, are meant to be illustrative of the ways that the invention
can be practiced. It is not meant to be limiting or restrictive in
anyway.